Five Rare Wines

Five Rare Wines

Rare wines are as much a collector’s item
as a curiosity. As a scholar of art and a follower of the auction market, I see
many undervalued or ‘missed’ examples of art popping up at auction. Wines are
no exception, if you know what you’re looking for! You may never buy some of
these, but if you encounter one on your travels or in a restaurant, then you
should – as I would – splash the money for a once in a lifetime chance. These
wines are rare because of their low production, low availability, or price, or
all of those things! But behind all these wines are stories of passion and
commitment.

Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1951

This iconic Australian was the idea of Australian winemaker Max
Schubert. His idea was to create a signature Australian wine with aging
potential and superior style. The 1951 was the first vintage, an experimental
vintage. The 1951 (and 1952) was either given away or held to stock the museum,
and they finally became available in the 1980s for collectors. This vintage
also has hand-blown bottles, and its value is in the rarity of it since it is
past its drinking window.

Estimated around $35,000-$40,000 per bottle now, as only around 20
remaining.

Krug Clos D’Ambonnay

This Krug vineyard is a tiny 1.6 acres, containting 100% Pinot Noir.
It is enclosed by a wall (the clos) and is produced in rather small amounts, in
the region of 200-300 cases per vintage. It is an example of a big champagne
house showing it can produce unimaginable quality without mass production.
Older vintages are said to display amazing minerality – the sort of rocky,
pebbly highlights – and a recent check of an Australian retailer saw the 1996
vintage selling for $4000 per bottle.

1959 Antonio Ferrari Solaria Jonica

The story goes that Mr. Ferrari became so enchanted with Puglia that
he uprooted vines from Puglia – which was at that time experiencing its hottest
summer of the century – and moved them to Piedmont, where he intended to
produce a superior quality wine. His intended high-alcohol, powerful wine
stopped developing at around 14% alcohol, leaving it high in sugar and
sweetness. He had nothing left to do but let the wine age, and hope for a
beautiful product. The wine has now aged for 45 years and is the result of Mr.
Ferrari’s passion, and he never sold the wine in his lifetime.

1990 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache

Situated on 1.81 hectares of rich Burgundian soil, DRC as it is
known has become one of the most collectible wines in the world. 24,071 bottles
of this extraordinary wine were produced, which earned a perfect 100 point
rating from the world’s most powerful wine critic Robert Parker. The La Tache
vineyard is said to produce amazing vintages year after year (except in
terrible weather years) and with the wine coming near the end of its perfect
drinking window (2004-2015), collectors will want to get a hold of this wine
before it starts its descent.

1990 Giuseppe Quintarelli Amabile del Cere ‘Bandito’

This rare example of a botrytis (‘noble-rot’) affected grape is a
perfect example of rarity. There has been only one more recent release of this
wine since this vintage, and the story of the wine goes that the wine was
secretly made for the first time during the German occupation of Italy, and has
since gone on to have some fine vintages. The rarity factor comes from the
small production and long aging time – it has been 23 years since the vintage
and 18 years in the bottle. Again, aging has enhanced the minerality and it now
combines wonderfully with the fruit complexity. A wonderful story too!

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I think I was captured by how essentially natural or organic the whole process of winemaking is. It's farming, it's viticulture, it's weather and soil, and many more things. It's the winemaker. But after all these things, after the cap is unscrewed or the cork popped, I (and you) get to enjoy it. Then we talk about it and learn some more. Which is, I guess, the reason why you're here! Here you'll find stories, links, wine education samples and wine reviews. I am entirely independent and my wine reviews and ratings are based on my own thoughts and opinions. I accept no endorsements for products or good reviews.
Enjoy! I can be reached for comments, feedback and questions at dbtaylor01@gmail.com.
Good drinking to you!
David